Midnight Run by Linda Castillo Page B

was assessing her, trying to read her body language. Mercy, she knew him too well. It was disconcerting to know he knew her just as well.
    “It might be a few days before I get to the doc,” he said.
    Landis closed her eyes, dread gathering in her chest. It was crazy, but a small part of her wanted to help him. She wanted to ease his pain. She wanted to do this one, compassionate thing for him because she knew it would be the last kindness she would ever show him. After tonight he would be gone, and she would never see him again. Oddly, the notion wasn’t as comforting as she wanted it to be.
    Taking a calming breath, she faced him. “The cut above your eye looks bad, too.”
    “Pretty careless of the prison system to string barbed wire where the inmates could get hurt. Think my lawyer could get a settlement out of them?”
    “That’s not funny.”
    Irked by his flippant tone, Landis left the kitchen. In the bathroom, she found the gauze, tape, peroxide, aspirin and a crinkled tube of antibiotic cream. Dreading the job ahead, she entered the living room to find Jack slumped on the sofa, watching her through heavy-lidded eyes.
    “You got anything stronger than aspirin?” he asked.
    Despite the intrepid facade, she could tell he was tense about the wound. He should be, considering what he expected her to do. “I guess you’re not going to let me talk you out of this,” she said.
    “Think revenge, Counselor. That should get you through it.”
    Frowning, she went to the bar and found the old bottle of brandy she’d gotten for Christmas last year. Working off the cork, she snagged a good-size tumbler from the cabinet, and walked back to the living room.
    “Ah, a little brandy for the soul,” he said. “That ought to do nicely.”
    She set the bottle and glass on the coffee table and looked down at him. “That wound is serious, Jack. If it gets infected you could find yourself seriously ill.”
    “Careful Landis, or I might think you still care about me.”
    “Like you said, Jack, I’ve always had a weakness for strays—even when I know they’re likely to bite.” She poured two fingers of the amber liquid into the glass.
    “More,” he said.
    “You just want to kill the pain, not put yourself into a coma.” But she filled the glass to the halfway mark and handed it to him.
    “I hate to waste the expensive stuff on a gunshot wound.”
    “Go ahead. I haven’t exactly been celebrating much lately.” She tapped out three aspirins. “These will help.”
    Never taking his eyes from hers, he tossed back the aspirin, brought the glass to his lips and drained it in three gulps. Landis watched, fascinated as he shuddered, then set the glass back on the table.
    Leaning against the sofa back, he closed his eyes. “Give this a minute to kick in, will you?”
    She looked down at her scant first aid supplies, praying she could get through this without making the wound worse than it already was.
    “Okay. Let’s get this over with.” Grimacing, he unbuttoned the shirt, wincing as it came down over his shoulder.
    Careful not to get too close, Landis peeled back the bandage he’d applied after his shower. The moment the wound came into view her stomach did a slow-motion somersault. She wasn’t squeamish, but the sight of the bruised flesh and gaping wound made her feel light-headed. “I’m sure this isn’t what you want to hear, but I flunked basic first aid.”
    “You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?”
    “Don’t be ridiculous.”
    A chuckle rumbled in his throat. “From the looks of you, I’d say the jury’s still out on that. Maybe you ought to sit down. That floor’s hard as hell, and I don’t have the strength to pick you up.”
    “I’m not going to pass out.”
    He didn’t move as she rounded the sofa and set the peroxide and antibiotic cream on the end table. “Hold this.” She handed him the gauze. “And be quiet. I need to concentrate.”
    Unable to avoid it any longer, she